How to attract Anna's hummingbirds to your yard
Anna's Hummingbirds respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 8 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The Anna's Hummingbird is a year-round resident in 6 states and provinces, including Arizona, British Columbia, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington — there, a yard can host it in every season. It is a winter visitor in 2, including New Mexico, Texas, where feeders and winter fruit matter most.
Plant what Anna's hummingbirds use
These native plants are tied to the Anna's Hummingbird in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden currant Ribes aureum | Shrub | 8 | Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit. |
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Perennial | 8 | Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches. |
| Rocky Mountain bee plant Cleome serrulata | Perennial | 7 | Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall. |
| Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata | Perennial | 7 | Red trumpets for Broad-tailed and Rufous hummingbirds. |
| Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis | Perennial | 5 | Scarlet late-summer spikes; a hummingbird magnet in moist soil. |
| Desert willow Chilopsis linearis | Tree | 4 | Orchid-like flowers through summer for hummingbirds and orioles. |
| Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens | Shrub | 4 | Red spring flower spikes timed to hummingbird and oriole migration. |
| Oregon grape Mahonia aquifolium | Shrub | 3 | Evergreen with yellow spring flowers and blue summer fruit. |
| Red-flowering currant Ribes sanguineum | Shrub | 3 | Early spring blooms fuel returning Rufous Hummingbirds. |
| Rocky Mountain penstemon Penstemon strictus | Perennial | 3 | Blue-violet spikes favored by Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (shrub, perennial, tree). Layering matters: mixing shrub, perennial, tree gives Anna's hummingbirds food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Nectar, sap from sapsucker wells and small insects.
- Warm months
- Nectar and gnats
- Cold months
- Winter-blooming manzanita and feeders
- At feeders
- Sugar water: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water
Feeder style matters as much as food: saucer nectar feeder is the first choice for this bird. Anna's stay year-round and nest in winter; in freezing weather, keep one feeder thawed. Feeder guide →
Avoid:
- Red dye, honey and artificial sweeteners
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Tiny cup of plant down and spider silk.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 2 eggs
- Incubation
- 14–19 days
- Nestling period
- 18–23 days
- Broods per year
- 2–3 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around January in British Columbia but not until December in Washington. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.
Frequently asked
What attracts Anna's hummingbirds to a yard?
Food they actually eat (sugar water: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water), native plants such as Golden currant, Wild bergamot, Rocky Mountain bee plant, clean water and suitable nesting cover: tiny cup of plant down and spider silk.
What plants attract Anna's hummingbirds?
Across the Anna's Hummingbird's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Golden currant (Ribes aureum), Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Rocky Mountain bee plant (Cleome serrulata), Scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata), Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting Anna's hummingbirds?
Nesting starts around January in British Columbia and as late as December in Washington. Have cover, water ready a month before.
What should I not feed Anna's hummingbirds?
Red dye, honey and artificial sweeteners.
Sources
- Anna's Hummingbird — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Anna's Hummingbird life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Anna's Hummingbird — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.